The Long Road Home
by Kitsune incarnate
Summary: The sequel to Journey Through the Darkness. Michael, Shaymin and Nathaniel are called upon when Giovanni's endeavor ends in an event that threatens the existence of time and space itself. Their task? Obtain and return Arceus' plates before it's too late!
1. Chapter 1

Hello readers, and welcome to The Long Road home, sequel to Journey Through the Darkness! It's taken me a few months to write this chapter (indeed I started .. I believe sometime this year around January or February? But coming up with a new plot is hard, and so on the backburner it sat, until I was finally stricken with inspiration and bitten by plot bunnies and whatnot! I hope you enjoy this fanfic as much as I do writing it, and I implore you to give it a chance. If you haven t read Journey Through the Darkness, please do so to get a full understanding of the main characters ^-^

Summary: In this sequel to Journey Through the Darkness, the adventures of Nathaniel, Michael and Shaymin begin anew, as Giovanni's endeavor results in an event that threatens the very existence of time and space itself. The trio is called upon again to retrieve the sixteen plates of Arceus and return them to the Spear Pillar, so that it may have the power it needs to fix what has been done, before it is too late.

Right-y-o! And before I forget: This applies for all future chapters, but Pokemon is copyright Satoshi Tajiri and Pokemon USA, but my characters and settings are mine. GO ME! 8D

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The Long Road Home

Chapter 1: Paradise Lost

The crystalline stairs stand before Giovanni Boss, leading upwards towards an unseen destination in the heavens. High above the clouds, high above the region of Sinnoh, they fade out after an indeterminable height. From his perspective, there are an unknown number of steps ascending to these heavens and beyond, with no guide railing, nothing to prevent against a fall should the worst happen. Clearly, the pathway to the Hall of Origin was not in compliance with OSHA nor the Sinnoh Housing Code, yet this meant little to the boss of the Team Rocket organization; doubly so since it wasn't up to them to decide whether Heaven or the stairs connecting to it qualified as a home or even a workplace.. Though the others of the elite group he had brought with him look on in a combination of awe and fear, Giovanni himself steps forward with a grin and an aura of smug satisfaction. His destiny lay before him like a large, fresh apple ripe for the picking from the Tree of Fate, and he was no less ready to reach for it now than he was when he started the ambitious 'Dinnerware Project', aimed at getting the sixteen Plates of Arceus for this express purpose. Unafraid of the unknown which presents itself, he takes one step onto the first of many stairs, finding there to be a surprising amount of traction, despite the step appearing to be as smooth as glass. He motions for the eighteen others - Melissa and Lavender included - to follow, who do so after a quick weapons and ammunition check. And so they climb towards the heavens, Spear Pillar and indeed the entire region of Sinnoh slowly grows smaller from their perspective. Despite their altitude, the pressure is as though they were still on Mt. Coronet, causing no complications in breathing.

Soon after the beginning of their descent, they find themselves moving up through various layers of clouds, quite literally into the heavens themselves. Thicker and thicker, the cloud cover grows, obscuring their vision to the point that they can hardly see the stairs at their feet, but fortunately, this is not to last. After an estimated ten minutes of travel, they finally break free of the obscurities of their vision, and step onto what seems to be a road above the layers of cloud. This road is almost like a glittering, gravel pathway, the light of the sun bringing forth an array of colors from the diamond-like pebbles which form it. It stretches on for what seems like miles; a road built upon the heavens themselves, with an end outside of their field of vision. Without fear of what lay ahead, Giovanni steps foot onto the Celestial Road, finding the feeling under his foot akin to the average gravel road. He takes another step, finding the 'ground' beneath him to be rather solid and level. With his convictions strengthened, he marches forward, undaunted by the thought of falling or the road vanishing for an inexplicable reason. Those under his employ follow behind, only one or two feeling a certain dread about invading the home of the Being of Creation, but fearing more the wrath of Giovanni for even suggesting they turn back.

And so they walk, as untold hours pass. The sun had been gradually moving across the sky, and it appeared that they would possibly not reach the end of the road until tomorrow. Or, perhaps, had this entire trip become a fruitless endeavor? Nobody knew, nor did they dare ask, for the leader of the pack felt more than assured that they were in fact, close to that of which they seek. As the sunlight began nearing the twilight hours, the Celestial Road glittered brightly in all of the colors of the rainbow. Certainly a sight to behold and cherish for one who had the time or heart to appreciate such things, but on such an important mission, Giovanni felt he had little time for such pleasantries. However, despite some of his subordinate's worries, his foray into the heavens was about to pay off, and in a rather large way. As the sun reaches the horizon - the exact twilight hour - a brilliant, white light spreads across the heavens and the Celestial Road. As the onset, temporary blindness fades from their eyes, they see before them what can only be assumed to be what they had came for.

In front of them lay two rather large, golden gates, chained shut and locked by a rather sturdy padlock. In either direction, walls of ivory and white pearl stretch out as far as the eye can see. Beyond the gate, a dirt path lays, winding through what appears to be a large forest absolutely teeming with flora, but no fauna to be found. Indeed, it appears they have reached the gates of heaven themselves. All of the doubts about their endeavor are washed away instantly by the sights of this paradise. A few of them felt a twinge of guilt for what they were about to do in the disturbing of this paradise, but again, had to quell their thoughts on the subject matter. Giovanni gives a brief glance at Lavender who, immediately understanding his intentions for her, steps forward with a high-caliber rifle, intent on destroying the locking mechanism if not the entire padlock. Without even taking a breath, she braces herself against the recoil, aims, and pulls the trigger, causing a rather loud noise which seems to echo through the heavens. The inside of the padlock is practically vaporized, due to the fact that it was mainly for show and relied on the strength of the outside of the lock and the chain. Without missing a beat, she kicks in the gate, causing both chain and padlock to fall to the ground. The members of Team Rocket rush ahead of them in an organized fashion, weapons at the ready, prepared to shoot anything on-sight. Giovanni, Lavender and Melissa follow behind.

Beyond the gates lie a road of what appeared to be dirt; a simple, well-worn path stretching through a veritable forest of paradise. As the group head down this pathway, they find themselves walking through a place of serene beauty and grace. The air is clean, the flora a rich, vibrant array of colors.. One of the members fancying botany as a field of study noticed that amongst the what seemed like infinite forms of plant life, there were long-extinct species. The location seemed empty of life; odd, given it was the heavens, but they paid little attention to this in favor of reaching the end of the road. However, their wait wouldn't last long, as the surrounding forest appears to quickly thin out after a good half hour of walking. Beyond it, a sight they knew no living mortal would be able to witness lie ahead in the not-so far distance. The dirt road became spotted with bits of grass and pavement, leading up to a locale of legend.

At least a quarter of a mile away stands before them a building so awe-inspiring, even Giovanni himself felt he must stop and admire the structure. This building, known only in old tales and legends, is known as the Palace of Eternity. Though its appearance was more of a palace-castle hybrid, this took nothing away from its divine grace. The walls of ivory that made up the curtain wall stretch high into the air, with the occasional arrow loop visible, though these seemed to be for decoration. Obviously not expecting an invasion of the heavens, most of the visible weapons were set up for decoration; it even lacked a portcullis, drawbridge and moat, clearly leaving the keep wide open for attack for an invading party. However, its flawed design by mortal plane standards took not away from its serenity, but only added to it. The ivy-covered walls of ivory also featured the occasional flag, which bore the Divine Crest: A shield divided by diagonal lines into four sections with Arceus with a white background at the top, Dialga on the right with a soft blue hue background, Palkia on the left with a light pink background and Giratina on the bottom with a black background. This crest could be seen on the many flags adorning the towers and walls. Truly, the Palace of Eternity was a fitting name, the actual location more than living up to its rumors.

Deciding it best to move forward rather than stand around gawking at the sight before them, Giovanni glances at Lavender who with a nod, makes a silent motion with her hands. Instantly understanding the directions, the group of sixteen members crowd ahead of them, weapons at the ready to deal with any threats Fortune was on their side it seemed. Their journey through the heavens towards the Palace of Eternity went unhindered, as they proceed in a standard V formation, equally spread, making sure to cover all areas as they proceed towards the castle gates. Fortune seems to be on their side however. Not only are the heavens free of any opposition to their endeavor, the palace appears to lack a town, or any outward defenses.. even a gate or doors for the gatehouse. Because of this lack of opposition, their formation easily makes it through into what appeared to be a courtyard. The inside of the curtain walls, where one might expect to see an inner bailey, were lacking in all of the things you would actually expect to see in said bailey, and instead consisted of a beautifully-tended courtyard, consisting of a hedge maze, various species of beautiful, yet extinct trees and other flora, and topiary. The topiary as it would appear, is of all of the legendary pokemon, with the weakest of them towards the entrance, all going down to the largest one, Arceus, near the entrance to the Palace. Amongst the various other things that stood out; a bird bath or two, a swing set.. perhaps the thing that most stood out in this courtyard is the passageway.

Under the light of the sun, a walkway of solid gold bricks stretch out from the gatehouse to the Palace. Their path winds greatly through the courtyard, as if to say: 'Walk down me, and gaze upon the glory that is the Palace and its courtyard'. The path seems to go on for quite the distance, yet even in the shadows along the way, it remains glittering even in the dimmest of light. On either side of the passageways were the most impressive of the flora; the caretaker must be especially fond of the plants growing there. Or perhaps since that passage is what guests would walk down, it must be the most impressive? Nobody knew. Aside from the various plants, there were also trees, providing comfortable breaks from the delightfully warm afternoon sun, and the impressive Legendary Topiary, perfectly sculpted to capture even the finest detail in a legendary pokemon's appearance. However, even the most impressive of the work could not manage to deter the team, who, though they became bottle-necked while on the path, marched through. Crystal, always searching for something exciting to do at her desk, took a few clippings of the various plants that she would latter try to grow at her desk. She wasn't much of a gardener, but it sure beat the pants off of playing the 'stab a pencil between your fingers as fast as you can without stabbing yourself' game for hours on end.

And so the squad marches on, down the path, around the curves. With still no sign of opposition, they quickly make their way to the entrance of the palace, which had a rather grand, ivory fountain with the walkway stretching around it. At the top, stood a carving of Arceus, water pouring out of the gems on the ring around its waist. There are three other sculptures, one of Giratina, Dialga and Palkia, each with water coming out of the spots for their respective jewels. The water inside is clean; cleaner possibly than even a source purified by a Suicune. Despite the temptation of both Giovanni and his subordinates to rest by this fountain and drink from its cool, refreshing waters, Giovanni orders them to press on towards the grand doors of the castle, which they do with only the slightest hints of resentment for his orders not to stop. Back to their V formation, they climb the grand staircase of pearl, past two statues, one of Palkia and the other Dialga, with one of Giratina from the high edge looking down at them with a stance akin to one of the many gargoyles seen at the Hearthome City Cathedral. Despite the unnerving sense that they are now being watched; truly a sense first coming to them since their first steps onto the Celestial Road, they arrive at the double doors to the palace.

Much like the rest of the heavens, even this entry door was a sight to behold. Towering above them at a height of about three stories, a pair of large double doors stand. They appear to be made of pure, solid oak; a stark contrast to the rest of the castle, but likely chosen just for that reason. Many intricate patterns have been carved deeply into the door, and filled with what appears to be melted-down gold. The knockers are perhaps what differ the most. On the right door, a knocker is in the shape of Dialga's head, molded out of gold but with a diamond handle. The other, also molded from gold, shaped as Palkia's head, with a handle of pearl. There is no sign of Giratina on the door, but the Divine Crest sits dead center, about halfway up the door, engraved into it. Wasting no more time admiring the sights, Giovanni points towards the door. With a dark, eerie grin creeping across his face, he gives the orders for them to open the passageway. Just beyond that he knew was the place where his destiny lie, and he was no more doubting his convictions now than he was when he first began the product.

With heavy grunts, the sixteen squad members grab the large handles on either side of the door, and pull. Though the initial weight seems too heavy for even them to bear, either determination, a fear of retaliation from their leader in case of failure, or a combination of both contributed to their eventual success. The doors groan open at a rather slow speed, swinging outwards towards the stairs. Given the noise made, it would seem that they have seen a lot of use in the countless years, in spite of the fact that they were probably the only humans ever to lay hands upon them. And so into the Palace of Eternity the squad forms, having ample room to regain its V formation. Giovanni, Crystal and Lavender follow closely behind.

Inside the Palace, beyond the double doors, stands a sight that even the most creative of artists or architects alike couldn't come close to replicating if they tried. A lush, crimson red carpet meant to welcome visitors stretches down the extent of the hallway, with a quality that would signify its owner had a vast amount of wealth. On either side of this grand hall, marble pillars support a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The walls appear made entirely out of ivory, with golden, jewel-studded trim around the ceiling and floor. The floors themselves seem marble much like the pillars, and are a startlingly beautiful mixture of black and white, starkly contrasting with the walls around them. Each pillar holds a flag baring the Divine Crest, and remain perfectly motionless due to the lack of even the slightest draft. There are statues of various legendary pokemon on either side of the red carpet, which are much like the topiary, in order from weakest to strongest from the entry door to the large set of double doors at the end. However, perhaps the most remarkable sight is the ceiling. Far above, painted on, is the sky, with clouds Arceus is on a heavenly cloud, one front leg pointed outwards. Surrounding it are three pokemon: Uxie, the Being of Knowledge, Mesprit, the Being of Emotion and Azelf, the Being of Willpower. A little bit away, on a portion of ground surrounded by clouds, a Lucario is reaching out to touch Arceus' outreached forearm. A human is next to the Lucario, and an Electrode, Pikachu and Eevee. This again seemed to be a way to show off to visitors, or perhaps just an extravagant decoration, but there seemed to be no reason other than to let Arceus remind itself and others that it was the force behind creation.

Of course, again, Giovanni held the artistic and potential cultural value in little regard, as he orders his subordinates ever forward. They even managed to ignore the fact that such a structure could not exist in the real world, due to the inability of pearl and ivory to be such large-scale building materials. Fortunately, the Heavens need not follow such earthly restrictions, lest the structure collapse upon them. Again in the V formation, they march on down the Hall of Origin, through the statues, under the painting, and to the set of smaller double doors on the other end of the entrance hall. Without even needing to wait for orders, two of the team of sixteen pull open the oak, carved and gold-filled doors, revealing that the red carpet continue down a hallway, up to a throne. Giovanni and team enter the room, which looked near-identical to the former save for the cathedral ceilings with golden chandeliers hanging from the rafters. There are rather unusual suits of armor and weapons set up in display about the throne room, all leading up to the elevated throne. Various doors visible along the walls lead to unknown locations, but truly all attention centered around the creature on the throne. Or rather, the human-like figure.

Sitting on the throne was not a pokemon like Giovanni and his squadron expected, but rather a human. Her skin is a pale white, and flawless, without even the slightest hint of a wrinkle, crows feet, blemish or mark. Her hair is as white as the driven snow, and quite long, dangling over parts of the throne straight down to the floor. She is wearing a long, flowing, white and grey dress, with the elegance needed to match that of her surroundings. Perhaps the most outstanding thing about her however, is the golden halo-like object rotating above her head, with jewels at four spots there, highly reminiscent of the object around Arceus' midsection. However, this matched her golden headdress and footwear, and definitely matched her similarly golden rings and bangles. Standing next to her throne, a female, in heavy, pearl armor. Her helmet has a protective faceplate on it, and long, pink hair flows down her back, to about her waist. The armor itself, though pearl, is reminiscent of something you might see a guard captain wear out of a fantasy videogame, what with all its excess spikes. Despite this and its undoubtable weight, the person whom this armor protects seems to have no trouble with its weight or any mobility restrictions. She is standing with a sword of an unidentified metal sticking in the ground, the hilt made of a combination of gold and pearl. However, the most outlandish thing about her armor, is the sizable orb right over the location of her heart, protected by a thin mesh of chain mail. She remains perfectly still, as Giovanni and his squadron approaches the throne.

The knight shifts uncomfortably, but the female on the throne reaches over to softly touch her arm; an indication to stand down and relax. A small smile comes to her face, as she turns her attention to her visitors, red irises standing out strongly against the green eye shadow. She stands calmly, crossing her hands over her lap, and with their distance slightly closed Giovanni and his group can see the faintest amount of green blush added to her cheeks. Her hair shifts from its place of rest, and cascades down around her, settling in a way to only compliment her appearance. In all her divine beauty, she gives a sweet smile, and tilts her head. "Hello, friends, and welcome to my palace. I am Arceus, the Alpha and Omega, but you may call me Arceus, or simply Arcy if you would prefer. I see you managed to reunite my sixteen plates and locate my long-lost Azure Flute. For that, I owe you an eternal debt. Please, my new friends, ask me what you wish, and I would be more than thrilled to grant it. Think of it as one free wish, whatever your heart's desire, as repayment for your deeds."

Giovanni gives a distrusting look. 'One wish?' He thinks, crossing his arms. '..this is far too easy. It must be a setup. But fine. I shall indulge, for now'. "One wish, you say." He closes his eyes, pretending to be in thought, and doing a rather good job of doing so. He opens his eyes a few moments later. "…power. My wish is for power. Enough to rule the world." He states this calmly, bluntly, matter-of-factly, his demeanor not altering in the slightest. He fully expected what the answer would be, and as such gave Lavender and Crystal nods, before returning his gaze to Arceus. He gives her a look of stone, cold silence. Arceus looks back, and tilts her head. "Power, hm? Not what I expected… I suppose Palkia was right to warn me of a malevolent presence approaching.." She sighs a little. "I had hoped maybe the time you had to reflect would change you for the better.. but alas. … My apologies, Sir, but I cannot fulfill your request. Please, leave my home immediately." She looks down a little, saddened by her having to request this of her first mortal visitors. 'Why did they have to bear ill will?' she questions herself, though she knew the only possible answer would be 'Because only one who would go through the trouble of doing so would be evil'. It was an unfair view to have, but apparently justified.

Giovanni gives a small shrug. "Very well, then. After all, who am I to argue with the Alpha and Omega herself. .. Or, I could just go ahead and take what I please by force." He points, and in an instant, his sixteen subordinates are set up to mow down Arceus in a wall of lead. A risky move, he was sure, but he had come too far to turn back now. The squad aim their weapons at Arceus, but before a single shot can go off, the knight that had been standing next to her rushes forwards, and before the subordinates can even have a moment to regret their actions, they find their life draining from their bodies; the cold blade of the knight's sword cleaving out sizable chunks of their throat. In almost an instant, the sixteen elites slump over, dead, with a pool of deep crimson blood spreading out over the carpet and marble flooring. Giovanni was unsurprised by this turn of events, but before he even has an instant to relax, a single gunshot echoes through the halls of the palace. There is the heavy clanking of armor, as the knight collapses at the feet of Arceus. A single, well-placed, armor-piercing round from Lavender's handgun has felled the mighty beast.

"! Palkie!" Arceus exclaims, kneeling next to the knight. With a flash of her eyes, the remaining three freeze perfectly in place. This was an unexpected turn of events, and already Arcy could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She removes the helmet, exposing the soft, feminine features beneath. Arceus gently stroking the cheek of her fallen comrade. "Palkie! Are you alright? Speak to me!" She peels back the armor to the underlying chain mail layer, added for protection. She gently pokes and prods Palkie, concerned over her well-being. Palkie lets out a small cough. "Mmmerf.. Arcy .. My apologies, m'lady.." Her voice is rather weak. Wherever she was hit, it appeared to be her weakest point. Arcy quickly shakes her head. 'No, do not apologize.. It was my fault for not listening to you.." She removes the gauntlet from one of her hands and takes it, and gently holds it. "I'm sorry.. … Where are you hurt?" Her voice is highly concerned. Obviously, she cared greatly for her felled companion.

Palkie cringes a bit from the pain, and removes the chain mail layer from the orb on her chest. The bullet appeared to have hit dead on and bounced off, but the damage is done. There is a rather sizable, deep-reaching crack dead center in the orb, and it appeared to be losing its luster. "..I didn't know.. Their weapons could damage it … I should have taken more precautions.." She coughs a bit more, cringing a bit. Arcy pets the orb a bit, and shakes her head. "No! No. Don't blame yourself.. Please.. Wait here.. I'll get your brother, and we'll figure something out. They must have my plates at the old shine, don't they?" She seems very concerned. She knew the plates held portions of her power. Without them, healing an injury as severe as Palkia's seemed like a far distant impossibility. Palkia, however, shakes her head. "..it's too late.. I think.. .. I think..t they're scattering to the winds.. … You have to get some help to gather them.. Before.." Arceus shakes her head, and pets Palkie on the head. "Please, don't say anymore. I'll find the help. Just wait here. Don't die.." She closes her eyes, and making sure she's in a comfortable position, slumps forward a bit.

In the world, Shaymin, Michael and Nathaniel both collapse, simultaneously; their consciousness drawn by an unknown force to a mysterious locale. In it, an endless plane of grass extends in infinite directions, dotted with the occasional tree. The sky above is the clearest of cerulean one could imagine, with no sign of pollution or poisons to it. The sun shines high, but in spite of its point in the sky, the area remains pleasantly warm, with a refreshing breeze blowing through. Before the three of them can question their sudden reunion or even their location or nature of arrival, a figure materializes before them. This feminine figure of divine origin, of serene beauty and grave, steps forward, hair flowing behind her. A troubled look is prevalent in her features, as she steps right up to the trio.

"Please, forgive me for bringing your consciousness here.. but I am afraid the situation is rather dire." She folds her hands over her lap, and gives a small, respectful bow. The group take a moment to take in the situation and her appearance, but before they can get a word in edgewise, she speaks again. "I know of your endeavors in the past.. about what you did to bring down Team Rocket … I am afraid I have been far behind in my knowledge of the world, and the results of my ignorance have been met with dire consequences." A few tears come to her eyes, but she wipes them on her sleeve. "..the heroes that have been inducted into the Hall of the Ancients before you have long-passed; their spirits have been reincarnated many times over. I am afraid in this modern era it is only you three that hold the medals representing induction into the Hall. … As much as it pains me to do so, I am afraid I must ask you to serve the world again."

Nathaniel, though not one to exert himself physically, purely because he relied more on his brains than any sort of brawn on musculature, steps forward. In the very depths of his soul, he could feel his inability to reject such a heartfelt plea; especially form a such a striking female, if nothing else. He bows a little, as a sign of returned respect. "..Whatever it is, I'll do it. Name it. I'm up for another adventure." he says, nodding a little. Both Michael and Shaymin step forward, each nodding in agreement with Michael's words. After all, despite all the danger that could be involved, another adventure sounded like a great idea to them.

Arcy gives a small smile, and bows again, presumably in thanks. "Thank you.. Truly, bestowing upon you the Ancient Medals was the best idea ever proposed by the Johto Legendaries." She bows for a third time. "..the reason I must call upon your assistance.. Palkia has been injured with a mortal blow to her only weak point.. The plates that could restore my full power and enable me to heal her though just united, have been once again scattered to the winds by her losing control over her power.. Please, I implore you, find the sixteen plates and return them to the Spear Pillar of Mt. Coronet.. In my current state I can only use my powers to prevent her condition from worsening, and by extension, the deterioration of the multiverse. All will be well; the stones in the pendants are special, capable of preventing your minds from falling prey to the effects of spatial and temporal distortions, should any arise, and will react to the presence of nearby plates. … I will not lie to you; it shall be a difficult journey, with hardships along the way.. but fate of the universe may very well rest upon your ability to locate the plates. … My apologies.. I know this is a lot to handle, having the fate of the world on your shoulders.. but rest-assured, if I can manage, I will send you the greatest level of assistance I possibly can muster." She bows, one last time. "..please.. .. When you wake up you shall be in the same location in Johto… I wish you the best of luck in your quest .. And Nathaniel, if you wish, I shall restore some of your abilities from back in the time you spent as a pokemon; such things are still within my capabilities … When you awaken, you will think of this as merely a dream, but I implore you, treat it as if the fate of the universe depended upon the task imposed upon you, because in all truth, it just might.

And with that, the mysterious figure known as Arcy fades into nothingness, followed shortly thereafter by the nature-filled locale. Darkness surrounds them, but it is not long before they feel the sensation of dry heat upon their skins. They wake up, indeed in the same location, in a rather familiar locale, identified immediately by Nathaniel as the base of Mt. Moon. As the being of their dream had promised, Nathaniel, Shaymin and Michael had awoken to find themselves in the same place, sleeping with their heads in contact. Nathaniel is the first to sit up, and rub his head. "Ugh.. What happened? It feels like my brain was torn out of my skull and blended.." he mutters, rubbing the side of his head a bit. Michael is the next to wake up, asking more or less the same questions, followed shortly thereafter by Shaymin, who unlike the others only questions Nathaniel's safety. However before their questions can be provided with a suitable answer, something unusual happens. Something that has the local pokemon running about in a great panic. In the sky, a veritable prism of colors spread to all points, covering near every visible portion in an unusual, massive aurora. Pokemon throughout the world panic and flee at the sight, knowing from with their deep connection to the world that something very wrong is happening. Humans, having long-lost that connection, simply take pictures, regarding it as a miracle of nature or a miraculous event. The truth, however, is something far more horrid than can be imagined.

Back at the Spear Pillar in Sinnoh, the pillars, even the damaged ones, each glow with an eerie light. They react with the sixteen plates, drawing in Arceus' power contained within, and causing beams of energy to converge on one point. To any observer, this would appear as a magnificent sphere of multicolored light floating above the Spear Pillar, a truly magnificent display with an intensity that could turn night into day. Above the mountain however, dark clouds swirl around the growing energy mass, as lighting strikes the pillars. The thunder from the freak storm is deafening; so loud it can be heard from even the deepest reaches of Sinnoh. This, however, does not last for long, as a blast of multicolored energy strikes the center of the clouds, causing them to split clear apart. The light also strikes through the bottom of the spear pillar, a beam so powerful it pierces through the very core of the planet, extending out into the deepest reaches of space. Throughout the world and possibly the universe itself, time grinds to a halt, as matter dematerializes around the light. This dematerialization spreads like a virus, enveloping all matter in the universe, until there is not a single thing left.

In only a matter of mere minutes, a universe has faced complete and thorough destruction.


	2. Chapter 2: The Journey Begins

I've lost sight about what I have a passion for. I've got so wrapped up in games that I haven't really written a word in MONTHS.

I'm starting this again.

I hope you enjoy.

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The Long Road Home

Chapter 2: The Adventure Begins

Nathaniel didn't know what happened. Something that had to do with Arceus, Shaymin and Michael. There was a dream. Something about saving the universe, the sixteen plates. Though he tried to get a grasp on what had just occurred, he was unable to, as his head was pulsating with a pain he never thought possible. Despite his attempts to wrap his mind around what had happened, he felt it fleeing from him; like a dream he was waking from that he was desperate to cling to under the light of the morning sun. Despite his endeavors, his mind was instead filled with questions about his current whereabouts. The air was a lot dryer, his nostrils filled with what he could only describe as a 'dusty' odor, the sun he felt was unusually hot on his skin. Without opening his eyes, he knew that wherever he was, it was neither Mount Moon or the paradise from his dream.

Electing to open his eyes, he s filled with.. an unusual sight; the only way he could describe it. Above him was neither sky nor cave, but a ceiling constructed of wood, with beams to support it. The walls were constructed of bricks. Towards the back, wrought iron jail cells, two, each with a window. The cells themselves seemed unoccupied, but contained the basic necessities: wooden planks attached to the wall held by chains, a cheap pillow, and even cheaper-looking bedding, likely cotton or wool. Around his immediate area, he saw various things indicating he was in some sort of police station: a desk with some papers on it, a gun rack with two rifles, two shotguns, and a neatly-organized stack of ammunition, a wall on which wanted posters were hung with rather old nails, the pages yellowed and cracked with the passage of time.

"What the.." he muttered to himself. Was this real? Was this what Arceus meant by keeping their minds safe by distortions? It was like he was in a whole other universe! Regardless, he stood up from his seat, hearing his feet thump rather soundly against the wooden floor. A quick look over himself completed the thoughts that his mind was already beginning to piece together: faded jeans, leather belt with two revolvers in holsters, white, cotton shirt, leather vest with the very recognizable six-pointed sheriffs star pinned to it? It was as if he dropped into some sort of stereotypical western film.

Unfortunately, he had not the time to further question what had been going on; if this is all real, he was on a limited time schedule. He searched for the medallion, which he found to be tucked under his shirt. With haste, he exite the sheriff's office, content with just having the handguns at his hips. He didn't know how to shoot, but aside from hoping he didn't have to, he was hoped that perhaps this universe's body could work on instinct when firing since he was the resident law and such.

Outside, the weather was hot, and rather dry. The sun beat down on the land in a way that would cook any of those unaccustomed to such heat like a frying pan over a hot burner. However, the residents didn't seem to mind - most of them were openly walking around in the unrelenting light, some dressed in top hats, others in straw hats, and a few females with parasols or even rarer, the occasional one dressed like a farmhand. All who noticed him politely tipped there hats, one or two greeting him with a 'Howdy, Sheriff!'. From what he could see, a single, dirt road ran through the town, and there were various houses and business on either side. The business were typical enough: general store, barber shop, tailor's, saloon, train station. Near the entrance of the sheriff's office, he saw a saddled Rapidash, with the reigns looped to a post, a trough filled with water sit below it. As he approached, it looked up at him, giving a welcoming snort, confirming his suspicions that it was this universe's incarnation's horse.

Not wasting any more time observing his surroundings, he untied the reigns from the post, and mounted the pokemon, using what little knowledge of horseback riding he had to direct it down the street towards the saloon. Going with what limited knowledge of western movies, he had figured this to be the compendium of all worldly gossip, or at the very least a good place to start searching. However, as he neared the establishment, a few gunshots rang out from the location, with the very familiar sounds of shattering glass from within.

*Great, a fight inside a saloon. How stereotypically western.* Nathaniel thought with a roll of his eyes, as he climbed down from the Rapidash upon his stop near the entrance. He entered the saloon with a heavy sigh, a bar fight the last thing he had honestly wanted to deal with. He walked past the fleeing patrons, and through the swinging doors straight under a sign named 'Stone Creek Saloon'. Though he figured Stone Creek to be the name of the town he was in, he had little time to dwell on that thought, as he was nearly bowled over by a gentleman being thrown out by another individual. He rolled his eyes - did he really have to deal with this? He just wanted to get the Plate and move on. However, his 'sheriff senses' as it were began tingling, and sensing the call to justice, he followed the inclination to put a stop to the violence. *Must come with being a sheriff .. I guess* he though, letting the doors of the establishment sway shut behind him

Inside was an all-out brawl, much as he expected Humans an their pokemon - a surprising variety of them he noted, including grass and bug types - were duking it out in a massive fight. Amidst the chaos, he saw them breaking bottles over each others heads, using tables as shields from gunfire, people getting and pokemon getting thrown out of windows, cats and dogs living together - it was pandemonium! Not the fun kind, either. Nathaniel let out a rather audible sigh, and used his index finger and thumb to massage the bridge of his nose - he again questioned the compulsion to stop this mess, but again felt the pulling at his chest saying that it was something he had to do. Electing against further time-wasting, he let his 'sheriff skills' as they were, to as any outside observer might state: 'kick but and take names'. Resorting to good ole fisticuffs, he near floored every degenerate, sending them out the doors with their pokemon at their side and their tails between their legs. Despite the wasted time, he was unable to deny feeling a certain amount of accomplishment at his feat - truly it wouldn't normally be so easy to win a fight against ten or fifteen people, but this being so western, he just had to.

As the conflict settled down, he shook his head and sat at the bar, having found one of the few stools not broken during the conflict. There, a woman in a tight, green and white corset and long dress stepped up to him. As he slowly looked upwards towards her face, eyes taking in every detail of her figure, he saw she was wearing green opera gloves, and that her corset had yellow fur around the collar. Finally, he made contact with her face: piercing green eyes, with long, green hair in a few curls. A pink flower placed in her hair. A surprised look overtook him. "…Shaymin?" he asked, the amazement clearly evident in his voice. After all, who else could it be, wearing such an odd color scheme amidst the world of brown and more brown.

The female's ears gave a twitch, likely something kept over from her time as a pokemon. She practically leapt at Nathaniel, pulling him in an extra-tight hug. "NATHANIEL!" she squealed in excitement, nuzzling his cheek, her voice filled with excitement. "THERE you are! I was so worried! I thought, when I woke up alone and everything was so weird and I thought that maybe I was stuck here all alone but you're here!" she rambled on, shifting between emotions rather rapidly. She took a moment to catch her breath, before giving Nathaniel a large hug again. "Hey Natey, Have you seen Mikey? Wait! Who cares. YOU'RE here!" She squealed again, before finally releasing him.

Nathaniel nodded a bit, not sure what to say. He looked rather flustered - even though he knew she was a pokemon originally, she inhabited a human form right now, and a rather attractive one at that. Quickly pushing such thoughts to the back of his mind, he dug out the medallion from below his shirt. "Arceus said it would react to the plate. Has it started yet?" he inquired, ignoring the inquiry as to Michael's whereabouts. Despite his hopes, Shaymin quickly shook her head in response. "No. Nu-uh. I dun think so. I mean, I didn't see anything and then there was a fight and then you came and- no." she said, managing to cut herself off before rambling on about events that had barely transpired.

However, as soon as she finished her sentence, there was a rather large rushing sound from outside, followed by a brief glow from their medallions. This made them both jump, despite the fact that it was only for a split second. "Was that..?" Nathaniel pondered aloud, eliciting a nod in response from Shaymnin. "I think so." She gave him a curious look. "But what made it do that?"

Before they had a chance to ponder further, a young man entered, dressed similarly to Nathaniel, though with a star reading 'Deputy Sheriff'. His hair was slightly longer than average, poking out just barely under his head. He looked in a panic, his breath short from his hasty movements. "Sheriff Nathan! It's an emergency!" he spoke with a thick, old Western accent. Their attention caught, both Nathaniel and Shaymin turned to face the Deputy. "The Express just shot past 'ere like a jackrabbit from a rabid kay-yote! There must be some nasty banditos that've done taken over the train! We gotta stop 'em, Sheriff! That thar lo-co-motive had the Governor riding in it - his life could be in danger!"

Nathaniel and Shaymin blinked, and looked at each other. A mutual understanding of the medallions' reaction crossed their faces, as they ran out to the dirt road, leaving a rather confused Deputy behind. "We have to find something faster than a speeding bullet. We cant catch up with the train if it's going that fast. " he said, matter-of-factly. However his words fell on deaf ears, as it seemed Shaymin already had an idea in mind: as he looked around for her, he saw her standing in front of a slow-moving stagecoach, waving her arms and jumping, politely requesting that it and its four Rapidash be leant to her. Grinning at her cleverness, Nathaniel ran over, climbing up the side whilst the driver was distracted by Shaymin's spectacle. "Escuse me? Escuse me Mister? MISTER! Please? We gotta borrow the stagecoach! It's an emergency!" Shaymin said, trying her best to use her new form to the best of her abilities to sway the man's decision.

"Look, my apologies little lady but the answer is no! I have packages I need to deliver to the post office in Rock Ridge! Now pardon my brash demeanor but kindly move out of the way!" the coach driver near-snapped. However, his attitude was quickly subdued, as an audible click pierced his left rang through his left ear canal. Immediately, he recognized the sound; it belonged to that of the hammer of a revolver having just been pulled back into a lock position. The revolver of course belonged to Nathaniel, who in an uncharacteristic show of threatening behavior, had taken the opportunity to pull a gun on the individual. "..excuse me, Sir, but I believe the lady requested to borrow your stagecoach?"

Deciding his life to not be worth the contents, he quickly jumped free from his seat, leaving Nathaniel to take over the reigns. Shaymin quickly climbed up from the other side, taking the passenger's seat next to him. He snapped the reins, causing the four Rapidash to speed off and along the tracks, leaving the poor man in the dust. Shaymin glanced at him, practically bouncing in her seat from giddy excitement. "Wow! That was AMAZING! You were all, and then pewpewpew almost and then he was like no way I'm gone and ran away and you're so cool!" Nathaniel scratched the back of his head in response. "..I'm just doing what we need to do to get home. I dunno what came over me." he said, quite honestly.

As they sped alongside the tracks, they saw their target in the distance: A steam locomotive, five cars, not including the coal car and a rather fancy, ornate car attached to the back. With a rather loud 'hya' and another snap of the reigns, they began to gain speed on the iron horse, fortunate to have a long length of straight track for ease of control. The air rushed through their hair, blowing Nathaniel's hat from his head, and on the ground a ways behind him, near some of the parcels and other pieces of mail that had fallen off through their reckless actions. Though they immediately thought that the plate would be in the back car, they had a bit of a problem: interruption by this bandits. Given how the train was speeding out of control, they figured they had to be near the front car. Daring to get the stagecoach nearer to the locomotive, Nathaniel ran the Rapidash within such a narrow proximity, they could practically reach out and touch the side of the train, an action that drew attention from the passengers inside the cars. Figuring the 'safest' thing they could do would be to try to get in through one of the linking cars, Nathaniel kept them going at a steady pace up to the space between cars one and two. Not really afraid - more excited than anything - Shaymin climbed to her feet, feeling a bit unsteady, but ready for the task at hand. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she edged towards the side of the stagecoach. She steadied herself against the wind and with one great leap, managed to grab onto the ladder between the cars, using that to step over to the small platform near the coupling. She let out a small cheer at her accomplishment as she clapped her hands in much excitement.

Of course, that was the easy part - Nathaniel had it a bit tougher. With a bit of a sigh, he did his best to settle the Rapidash to one path, before dropping the reigns. He stood up, creeping slowly to the edge of the stagecoach. Despite his best efforts to just take the leap, he found himself making momentary hesitations as so just what he was doing. After a few moments, however, he finally managed to find the courage within to just take the leap, both literally and figuratively, as his body flew across the small gap. Immediately, his hands grasped for anything they could reach to prevent the otherwise sure fall into the train tracks. Fortunately, he managed to grasp onto same ladder Shaymin had, and he grasped the rungs with such force that he swore his knuckles would be white for weeks afterwards. His breathing heavy, he wrapped his legs as tightly as he could around the metallic construct, taking a few moments for the disbelief and adrenaline rush to wear off. As the initial shock wore off, he took a deep breath, summoning all the strength within to finish the task. He climbed up to join Shaymin just outside the door from the first car, as the stage coach rushed off from its area parallel to the train, going towards an unseen destination in the distance.

Nathaniel and Shaymin, feeling the need to take a breather from their recent life-threatening ordeal, slid open the door to the first car, taking a seat in the back row in order to catch their breath. The other inhabitants of the train stared at them with disbelief, mostly out of surprise at their stunt, but the ones who didn't stare out of surprise looked much-relieved at their presence. Despite the serious turn of their situation, Nathaniel and Shaymin managed to smile at each other, before exchanging some tired laughter, much to the confusion of the passengers.

However, their relief was short-lasting, as a Meowth wearing a black vest walked in, carrying some sort of horn under his arm, and a case with the other, causing more confusion to the poor inhabitants He knelt by the device, and removed its cover, before dusting off and setting up some sort of cylinder in it. To one part, he attached the horn-shape object, and turned a crank for a short time, before running back outside. As some sort of music began to play - music quite familiar to Nathaniel - a female entered, wearing a black-furred, red corset. She had long, flowing red hair, and opera gloves with a similar red R embedded over the back of her hands. In addition to this attire, her body was covered long, red dress, similar in color to the corset, which extended to the ground. Most of the attention to the dress was drawn to the rather long slit in it up to about her mid-thigh. She held a shotgun aimed towards the upper corner of the train car in a true display of bravado, and glanced towards the passengers with her deep blue eyes.

"Prepare for trouble, and stick up your hands!" she said, with much energy to her voice.

A male entered. He stood facing the left as a large, black duster jacket with a red R emblazoned across the back swayed gently with his movements, but settled as he decided on a pose - back to back with his female counterpart. He used a thumb to push up a cowboy hat, black in color and surprisingly sinister-looking, then drew a rifle from beneath the jacket, holding it in a manner similar to his parter. Emerald green eyes shone from beneath the hat, as lavender hair swayed in the incoming breeze. "And make it double, if you ignore our demands!"

"To attack all trains without hesitation!" the female spoke; it was clear she had a bit of a thicker accent than her male companion. She cocked her shotgun, as if to say: "Yes, I will shoot you at the drop of a hat."

The male turned towards the train, showing a black vest and red shirt under the duster jacket. He held, aiming the rifle towards the upper-left. "To line our pockets 'til complete blotation!" the male said, shifting in his boots, which had a series of roses branded into the leather.

The female stepped closer to the male. "To hit all lines from East to West!"

The male followed suit. "When taking on trains, us two are the best!"

The female fired through the roof, causing a bunch of tiny holes which light flooded through. She reloaded, though due to the time in which it took her to do so, a look of 'I shouldn't have done that' was clear on her face. "Jessie!"

The male did the same, firing and reloading, though he had less of an issue than Jessie had. "James!"

Nathaniel face-palmed and sighed, looking down. He rubbed his forehead a bit. *Those two again? I don't have time for this crap..* he thought to himself, shaking his head.

"We're Team Rocket, hand over the goods if you value your life!" Jessie said, aiming at the passengers, who were quick to comply with her demands.

James did the same, aiming at others, who of course valued their existence over personal belongings. "Surrender now, or you'll meet the Reaper's scythe!"

The Meowth from before enters, with a rather sizeable bag to collect the loot. "Meeeeowth! Don't give us no strife!"

Nathaniel only sat, palm to face, largely ignoring the motto, while Shaymin blinked, giving the trio a bit of a inquisitive stare. Not wanting to waste any more time, however, Nathaniel stood, causing Jessie and James to point their weapons at him. Not really concerned, figuring these two to be as much of a threat as they were back when he was a pokemon, headed out the back. "I really don't have time for this crap today." he muttered as he moved from the first to the second car, followed closely by Shaymin. The trio was confused at his actions, given he was supposed to be a man of the law and all, but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and return to liberating the passengers of their worldly possessions.

As Nathaniel stood by the door to the second car, he drew his revolver, quickly checking that it had been fully-loaded with bullets. Not really knowing how to otherwise separate train cars, he held out the gun, aiming towards the coupling. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and fired all six rounds into the coupling, eliciting a surprised squeal from Shaymin. A strange noise emitted from the coupling. As Nathaniel opened an eye to see the cause he found that, much to his surprise, shooting the coupling enough times had actually got it to unhook. The first few cars of the train, now free from the weight of the rest, began to pick up speed, slowly but surely moving further and further from the remaining cars.

Electing against questioning the logic of this, both he and Shaymin went through the door of the second passenger car, past a mix of confused and happy individuals, some having seen their stunt with the stagecoach and clapping. Nathaniel more or less ignored the inquiries from the passengers, as he made his way through the third, forth, fifth passenger car, up to an armed guard who had come to block their progress. Despite not being able to see it, Nathaniel felt it in his gut that they were getting closer to the plate, and made a bold move to step towards the door in back of the car, but was stopped by the guard.

"Excuse me, Sheriff, but this is the Governor's Car. No entry except for welcome guests or the conductor." the rather well-built individual said. His accompanying pokemon - a Garchomp - glared daggers at the pair.

Though Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak otherwise, Shaymin put a hand on his shoulder, and stepped forward to the man. She folded her hands over her lap, and moved one leg behind the other, gently rapping her toe against the floor. She pushed up her shoulders a bit, and gave the sweetest smile she could muster. "…'scuse me, Sir." she said, her western accent seemingly mastered in the short amount of time. Or did she always have it in this form? He didn't know. "…but.. I'd be much obliged if'n you could let myself and my dear friend the Sheriff see the Governor."

The guard blushed, and scratched the back of his head, as he couldn't help but smile at Saynin. "Well, I dunno Ma'am. I'd probably get in a heap of trouble if I were to-"

"Oh please? Pretty please, for little ole me?" she interjected, fluttering her eyelashes a bit. Nathaniel was surprised - Shaymin really knew how to turn on the charm. "If you'd be so kind as to oblige, I'd be ever so grateful? Please?" she asked, pouting slightly, in her attempt to turn the charm up to the max.

Despite the flushing cheeks of the guard and the rubbing of the back of his neck as a sign he could have been falling for it, he remained steadfast in his denial. "I'm truly sorry ma'am. Truly I am.. But I'm afraid the answer is a no.."

Shaymin let out a small sigh, and frowned slightly. "Really? Not even five minutes?" She crosses her arms and looked at the floor, gently tapping her toe. Nathaniel could clearly see the cogs in her mind were turning, but what they were attempting to process, not even he could take the wildest of guesses. However, it seemed she finally arrived at some form of conclusion, as she let out another sigh. "Well then, if that's your absolutely final answer .. then I'm sorry."

The guard tilted his head slightly. "..sorry, Ma'am? About what?" he inquired.

"About this." she responded, and before the gentleman could even think, put her hand on his shoulders, gripping tightly. She gently pulled, catching the man off-guard enough to where he stumbled forward slightly. Shaymin shut her eyes tightly, and swiftly brought her knee up to his crotch, causing a rather nasty crunching sound and a pained yelp as he crumpled to the floor in the fetal position, writhing in pain.

Nathaniel visibly cringed at the sight, feeling his stomach do a bit of a flip. However, the Garchomp was not as effected as he charged up an attack to defend the honor of his Master. Thinking quickly - and having no other idea in mind - Nathaniel pulled back his arm, steadying himself. He threw his fist and weight forward and across, cold-clocking the surprised pokemon right in the snout. The punch had enough force to send the pokemon's head bouncing against the wall of the train car they were in, with the result of it falling to the floor, out cold. He blinked a bit and shook his fist, though no words left his mouth. He was simply too surprised to say anything.

Shaymin blinked a bit as well, staring at the falling pokemon for a few brief seconds, before laughing and giving Nathaniel a small smile. "Jeeze! You sure are strong, Nate!"

Nathaniel let out a bit of nervous laughter, before scratching the back of his head. "Eheh.. Well, you certainly have an .. interesting way of getting past stubborn people.

Shaymin let out a small giggle, and scratched the back of her head as her cheeks turned a light shade of red. "Well .. Pokemon or not .. sometimes you just have to go for a person's weak spot." She grabbed his hand, giving a gentle tug. "Come on, Nate. The plate is in there. I can feel it in my gut!" she exclaimed, using her free hand to open the remaining door. Nathaniel just gave a small smile, and crossed over with her to the final car.

Electing against wasting any more time, they opened the door and entered, again closing it behind them. The sight that they came across was surprising to say the least. The car looked more like a small hotel room than anything else - there was a place to sleep, to eat, oil lamps for adequate lighting during the darkness, a nice desk with parchment and an ink pot and quill. The aura of the plates was strong - their pendants were glowing brighter than they had been since then. As they entered the main area of the Governor's Car however, a voice rang out through the car.

"… it's about time you two got here."

Nathaniel and Shaymin turned to the voice greeting them. It came from a seat near one of the windows, where a rather rotund individual in his mid-forties sitting, moustache curled upwards, balding hair parted in a way to say 'I'm old but confident in my looks'. Though Nathaniel felt confusion as to who exactly this speaker was, Shaman was unable to stifle a giggle, and tilted her head. ".. Michael?" she asked.

Michael snorted. "Don't laugh." he grumbled, putting a good amount of effort into standing. He scratched his stomach, and stretched. "It's not my fault I'm some aging fat guy. …" he sighed, and knelt by a safe hidden underneath the desk. "The plate is here. It was being shipped with me to my office. I didn't want to touch the thing in case it didn't bring you guys with." he placed his ear to the safe and listened, gently manipulating the dial, until he heard the very distinct 'click' of the lock releasing. Noting the looks of his comrades, he gave a small shrug. "..it's something I picked up from Team Rocket. Basic skills - nothing special." he stated, playing the safe cracking off as a minor thing.." With a certain sense of vervousness, he gently grasped he handle of the safe, pulling the door open.

They glanced inside. There was a number of cash, a folded flag, some papers -mainly minor objects of little value. However near the back, sat a cedar box with a beautiful finish, about the size of a sheet of notebook paper. A strong aura radiated from it, and the closer proximity to their chests caused their pendants to glow a rather bright color. Michael slowly undid the brass clasp to keep the box closed and opened it, admiring the lovely velvet interior. A small satin cloth was gently moved aside by his hand, revealing a gorgeous slab of stone. It was smooth, as though it had been eroded to that point by a stream over hundreds of years, however despite this it had a surface perfectly flat without even the slightest hint of a groove.

Unable to help himself Nathaniel carefully removed the plate from the case, holding it out in front of his face. He tilted his head as he rubbed his thumb over its featureless surface, admiring his reflection that was cast upon it. "Wow.." he muttered to himself. Michael and Shaymin followed suit, each taking a moment to admire the object itself. However, before any of them could speak a word, the simultaneous contact of the plate between them caused it to shine brightly. Their pendants shone with an equal radiance, before the plate broke apart into three pieces, striking the trio in the chest. They fell back onto the ground from the recoil, as the radiance of their individual pendants faded. Everything began to go dark, and as their conscious left their bodes they felt an unusual, ethereal force pulling at their very spirits.

Outside of the train car, the skies around the world lit up. A yellow band appeared around the sky, as though the sun was moving at such a speed this was the only thing left. This did not last for long however, as what could only be described as a giant fissure appeared in the sky. This large fissure spawned smaller cracks, each which formed their own, smaller cracks, until eventually the sky was fractured like a pane of reinforced glass which had just been hit by a large object. The band of light that had once so clearly been the sun began to close in, as indeed the very fabric of space itself collapsed into a singularity in the center of the universe. Yet another one was lost to the collapsing of space.


End file.
